Alaska Shoreline Change Tool

Analyses of aerial photos and satellite imagery reveal how Alaska's shoreline has changed over time. Projecting observed rates of change into the future provides predictions of where the shoreline will be in coming decades.

The Alaska Shoreline Change Tool is an interactive, map-based tool that displays historic and predicted shoreline positions throughout Alaska. Users can explore the coasts of the state to see where shoreline has been in the past, and where it will likely be in the future.

Historic shoreline positions were determined from aerial photographs and satellite imagery dating back to the 1950s. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System was used to calculate rates of shoreline change; the rates were then used to project future shoreline positions. Each predicted shoreline has a level of uncertainty associated with it: dashed lines represent a 90 percent confidence rating that the shoreline will be within that area for that year. Currently, historic shoreline data are available for download, but predicted shoreline positions are not.